Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had another stellar season for the Buckeyes, establishing himself as the best prospect at his position in the country. Ahead of a pivotal third season in college football, after which he will be eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft, Smith is once again one of the favorites for the 2026 Heisman Trophy.
Dez Bryant Hypes Up Jeremiah Smith’s NFL Draft Prediction
After former Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate was selected No. 4 overall by the Tennessee Titans in Thursday’s NFL Draft, ex-Buckeyes offensive coordinator and current USF Bulls coach Brian Hartline boasted on X about the program’s wide receiver success in the first round of the draft.
“2022 Garrett Wilson No. 10 2022 Chris Olave No. 11 2023 Jaxon Smith-Njigba No. 20 2024 Marvin Harrison Jr. No. 4 2025 Emeka Egbuka No. 19 2026 Carnell Tate No. 4 Might have one in 2027 too!” Hartline tweeted.
Former NFL star wide receiver Dez Bryant hyped up Hartline’s prediction about the Buckeyes continuing their strong NFL Draft tradition with Smith.
“Not might.. you will have! Great sh*t coach!” Bryant tweeted.
Hartline has carved out a niche for himself as an elite wide receiver developer during his tenure as the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach, and he was one of the reasons Smith opted to join Ohio State over offers from the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida State Seminoles.
NFL Teams Anticipate Jeremiah Smith’s Draft Eligibility
In an interview with the Mirror before the 2026 NFL Draft, New York Jets senior football adviser Rick Spielman revealed the organization’s anticipation for next year’s draft, which will include Smith. The Jets picked three prospects in the first round this year and will have a shot at picking the talented Buckeyes wide receiver next year.
“We have two first-round picks this year and three next year,” Spielman said. “It’s a very, very strong quarterback class, but there are others too, the receiver from Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith, is coming out. He is one of the best prospects in a long time.
“Next year’s class looks extremely strong. We’ll see how things turn out. Another year of development could change things. But with three first-round picks, you can really control the draft.”
Last season, Smith earned a PFSN College Wide Receiver Impact score of 85.1 after tallying 1,243 receiving yards from 87 receptions, resulting in 12 touchdowns, and was named the Big Ten Receiver of the Year.
Smith will enter the 2026 season on the brink of history, needing only 9 touchdowns to pass Chris Olave (35) for the most receiving scores in Ohio State history and just 341 yards to surpass Michael Jenkins (2,898) as the Buckeyes’ all-time receiving yardage leader.
